Vehicle-top support.



No. 754.650- PATENTED MAR. 15, 1904. G. GROGAN.

VEHICLE TOP SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

IIIIIIII/ U ITED STATES Iatented March 15, 1904:.

PATENT QEEICE.

GALEN GROGAN, OF MURRAY, KENTUCKY.

VEHICLE-TOP SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 54,650, dated March 15, 1904.

Application filed May 8, 19053. Serial No. 156,263. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GALEN GRoeAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Murray, in the county of Galloway and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Vehicle-Top-Supporting Means, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to means for supporting vehicle-tops in such manner as to struction, thus avoiding damage to said top.

It is also the object to construct this means so that it will constitute a yielding-support for the top when the latter is lowered and will serve as mechanism to automatically elevate the top. I

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and is 1 described in the following specification. V In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle body and top, showing the invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the supporting means, intermediate portions thereof being broken away in order to illustrate the device on an en larged scale. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, through Fig. 1

Similar reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawlngs.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings a body lOis illustrated, having a seat 11, upon whichis mounte disposed arms 15 and 16, the adjacentends of.

which are connected by a coiled-spring portion 17, arranged to be placed around the rear bolt 14, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The coiled spring 17 is arranged to urge the arms toward each other. The arm 15 has its upper end secured to the box.

ofiset, as shown at 18, and upon this oflset end is pivoted a bow-clamp 19, comprising sections fastened together by means of set-screws 20 andlined with suitable material 21, which will prevent the scratching of the bow to which the clamp is applied. The arm 16 is preferably angular in cross-section and is composed of slidably-associated sections, one of which (designated 16) is in the form of a boxing that receives the adjacent ends of the other, said section 16 being provided with a suitable eye 22, arranged to receive the front bolt 14 of the top. The arms are held against relative movement by means of a brace 23, pivoted, as shown at 24, to an intermediate portion of the arm 15 and havingits other end pivoted to a boxing that is slidably mounted upon the arm 16. A latch 26 is pivoted between its ends upon the boxing 25 one end beingprovided with a tooth 27, arranged to engage suitable shoulders'or teeth 28, formed upon one side of the arm 16. This latch is urged to-its operative position by a suitable spring 29, bearing against its inner side and The other end of the latch may be provided with a suitable handle 30, which can be placed in convenient position for the occupant of the vehicle.

The operation of the supporting means is as follows: When the top is in upright position, it is yieldingly'supported by the spring-pressed arm 15, so that should said top strike an obstructionas, for instance, the limb of a tree or the top of a doorwayit will move backwardly against the tension of the spring, avoiding tearing or other injury. To adjust the top, it is only necessary to push it backwardly to the desired position, whereupon it will be held by the latch 27 engaging behind the .proper tooth-of the arm 16. When the top is structure is simple and can be manufactured at small cost. Furthermore, it can be applied to any well-known make of folding top.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the. art Without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the inven tion.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A vehicle-top support in the form of an attachment comprising angularly disposed swinging arms, a spring engaging the arms for swinging one of the same in one direction, a connection between the arms for holding said swinging arm against movement, a bow engaging device carried by one arm, and means for securing the other arm against movement.

2. A vehicle-top support in the form of an attachment comprising angularly disposed swinging arms, a spring engaging the arms for swinging one of the same in one direction, means for holding the swinging arm against movement, a bow-embracing clamp pivoted to the free end of the swinging arm, and means for securing the other arm to a vehicle.

3. In a vehicle-top support, the combination with a spring, of a swinging arm moved by the spring, a bowclamp carried by the free end of the arm, and a holding device for the arm carried thereby.

L. A vehicle-top support in the form of an attachment comprising angularly disposed arms, a coiled spring connecting the arms and constituting an eye that receives one of the projecting bolts of a vehicle-top, a bow-embracing clamp pivoted to the free end of one arm and arranged to slide upon the bow, the other arm having an eye at its free endadapted to receive the pivot-bolt of the top.

5. In avehicle-top support, the combination with angularly-disposed relatively movable arms, of a connection carried by one arm and having a slidable engagement with the other.

6. In avehicle-top support, the combination with angularly-disposed relatively movable arms, of a connection carried by one arm and having slidable engagement with the other, and a latch pivoted to the slidable portion of said connection and engaging the arm upon which said portion slides.

7. In avehicle-top support, the combination with an upright swinging top-engaging arm, of a brace pivoted at one end to the arm, and a latch pivoted at the other end of the brace to secure it and the arm against movement.

8. In avehicle-top support, the combination with angularly-disposed arms connected by a coiled portion, said coiled portion constituting a spring and an eye to receive a fasteningbolt, of means for pivotally connecting one of the arms to a vehicle-bow, and a connection between the arms for holding the same against relative movement, said connection having a slidable engagement with one of the arms.

9. In a vehicle-top support, the combination with angulargly-disposed arms having an intermediate spring connection, of a brace connecting the arms for normally holding them against movement.

10. In a vehicle-top support, the combination with angularly-disposed arms having an intermediate spring connection, of a brace pivoted at one end to one arm and having a boxing which slidably surrounds the other arm, said latter arm having a series of teeth, and a latch pivoted on the boxing and coacting with the teeth.

11. In a vehicle-top support, the combination with warm, comprising slidabIy-associated sections one of which is provided with an eye, of a top-engaging arm, and a spring for moving the top-engaging arm.

12. In a vehicle-top support, the combination with angularly-disposed arms, of a coiledspring connection between the adjacent ends of the arms, a bow-clamp pivoted upon the free end of one arm, a brace pivoted to said arm, and a sliding connection between the other arm and said brace.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GALEN GROGAN.

Witnesses:

J. H. COLEMAN, A. D. HALE. 

